I have been reading about the South Beach Diet and think that it sounds like a good enough plan to give it a try but my concern is this...
I am hypoglycemic and my blood sugar drops and I get hypoglycemic episodes if I do not have some carbs at each small meal of the day. In the past, vegetables have not seemed to be enough to keep it going "normally". And wait, are vegetables even allowed in the first phase?

So can someone PLEASE help me out here... for a person with hypoglycemia, is the South Beach Diet even a safe option?

Have you checked into the Sugar Busters Diet? It doesn't allow the refined sugars and carbs, but does allow the "good" carbs, such as bread and fruit.

I am also hypoglycemic and this seems to keep me from having the highs and lows in my blood sugar. The South Beach allows a certain amount of fresh vegetables but no other carbs for the first two weeks, then the "good" ones are introduced gradually into your diet. The South Beach nor the Atkins seemed to work for me.

so Travel, when you say they didn't work for you... do you mean in terms of being able to stick with them to lose weight... or because there wasn't enough substance to keep your sugar levels normal? And which diets HAVE worked for you? Very important questions to me... please let me know!

The South Beach and Atkins didn't work for me because they restricted, and actually forbid, certain food groups. I found them to be almost the same except that South Beach allowed a few more vegetables and recommended low fat dairy and lean meats. The first two weeks on both allow you nothing but meat, eggs, some cheese, and very limited vegetables. Absolutely no grains such as cereal, bread or crackers, and absolutely no fruit or starchy vegetables. Like you, my blood sugar levels dipped because I was used to having small amounts of carbs to help keep it up. I think you would adjust, however, and feel fine in a few days.

After the two week initial period both plans allow gradually introducing other food groups.

My greatest success has been with Weight Watchers. You can eat anything at all as long as you stay within your point allowance. Of course, because of the hypoglycemia, by choice I do not use points for sugar items, and try to stay away from most of the white flour items. I use whole grain breads; and cereals, such as oatmeal, Cheerios, shredded wheat, etc. They encourage fruits and vegetables. Most vegetables cost you no points at all so you can eat all you want of them, except the starchy ones like potatoes, corn, etc. Fruits are mostly one point each, except bananas which are two points.

The number of points you are allowed each day is determined by your present weight. If you are interested use your search engine and look for Dotti's weight loss zone on your internet. There is a world of information on that site about Weight Watchers. Also, I will be glad to try and answer any further questions you may have.

I also like the Sugar Busters diet, but it is more restrictive than WW. They do allow a specific amount of grains per day and fruits eaten at a certain time of day. I do believe, however, that this diet would do a good job of keeping blood sugar levels regulated. There are also some websites for this diet but I really believe you would need to read the book to get a good understanding.

I think the most important thing we can do for the ups and downs is stay away from sugar and white flour products because they affect your blood sugar levels the same as sugar.

I hope this is the info you are looking for. Don't hesitate with any further questions.

So I was looking at a Sugar Busters book tonight at the book store and it said "The New Sugar Busters"... I cant remember the author but it had a red cover (I believe?) with a sugar cube on it inside a circle with line through it (like the no smoking sign only with a sugar cube there instead of a cigarette)... the thing that threw me off was the "new" part... do you happen to know if this is the same book, just a new revised edition of the real sugar busters diet, or does it sound like a ripoff? Perhaps if you can tell me who wrote the original Sugar Busters Diet book , that would solve it, haha.

And Gopherhead:

Just curious what LC stands for in your last post? Have you done the South Beach?

Just curious what LC stands for in your last post? Have you done the South Beach?

Sorry for the confusion

LC stands for "low carbohydrate" and no, I have not done South Beach, I don't really care for some of the interpretation of the facts presented in that particular plan. I have read (and used some of them) many other LC diet plans including, Protein Power, Protein Power LifePlan, the Schwarzbein Principle, The Carbohydrate Addicts Diet, The Ketogenic Diet, Dr Atkin's New Diet Revolution, Eat Fat Get Thin and Enter the Zone. I've spent the last few years helping run a few sites like this one, but geared more toward nutrition, exercise and diet, and women's issues.

Nat

__________________
A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.

I have been reading about the South Beach Diet and think that it sounds like a good enough plan to give it a try but my concern is this...
I am hypoglycemic and my blood sugar drops and I get hypoglycemic episodes if I do not have some carbs at each small meal of the day. In the past, vegetables have not seemed to be enough to keep it going "normally". And wait, are vegetables even allowed in the first phase?

So can someone PLEASE help me out here... for a person with hypoglycemia, is the South Beach Diet even a safe option?

Rhadianze, There is a lot of good information about hypoglycemia in the diabetes forum. Hypoglycemia is difficult to control, but when it is controlled properly, weight problems are often resolved without "dieting."

Hypoglycemia is a metabolic disorder that effects insulin production and glucose levels. But there are many causes of this - most of which also contribute to weight gain. Healing the metabolism should be the primary focus of any hypoglycemic, and there really are no fad diets that will accomplish this.

Have you been officially diagnosed? Did you have a glucose tolerance test? How have you currently been controlling your glucose levels?

I would say the red book is a more recent edition of the original. The one I have is blue with the sugar cube marked through and was written by: H. Leighton Steward; Sam S. Andrews, M.D.; Morrison C. Bethea, M.D.; and Luis A. Balart, M.D. It is marked as "First Edition: May 1998".

A lot of people go low carb and get along fine with it. I have that nagging doubt about what it can eventually do to your cardio vascular system, kidneys, and even your gall bladder. I must have the first edition to the Atkins book because it allows you only 1 1/2 cups of veggies per day. Apparently, it has been changed.

Which ever way you choose I hope it works for you. If I can be of further assistance just whistle.

Hypoglycemia is difficult to control, but when it is controlled properly, weight problems are often resolved without "dieting."

Hypoglycemia is a metabolic disorder that effects insulin production and glucose levels. But there are many causes of this - most of which also contribute to weight gain. Healing the metabolism should be the primary focus of any hypoglycemic, and there really are no fad diets that will accomplish this.

Jdmassimo- with the wealth of knowledge that you appear to possess, you still give only partial information. Can you elaborate on the ways that hypoglycemia can be controlled, the causes of hypoglycemia that contribute to weight gain and ways the metbolism can be healed? I was not aware that was possible.
Also, you said that hypoG effects insulin production which is the first I have heard, I was under the impression that was diabetes. My doctor has not been helpful or informational to say the least...

I have been reading about the South Beach Diet and think that it sounds like a good enough plan to give it a try but my concern is this...
I am hypoglycemic and my blood sugar drops and I get hypoglycemic episodes if I do not have some carbs at each small meal of the day. In the past, vegetables have not seemed to be enough to keep it going "normally". And wait, are vegetables even allowed in the first phase?

So can someone PLEASE help me out here... for a person with hypoglycemia, is the South Beach Diet even a safe option?

South Beach Phase 1 lets you have unlimited amounts of a variety of vegetables, including beans such as kidney beans, lentils, black beans, and split peas. These are not your typical low carb type veggies and may help even out your blood sugar. You are also permitted snacks such as 30 pistachios or lowfat cheese. I believe that it is recommended that you have between meal snacks so this may help too.

Once you are into phase 2 this should not be as much of an issue, since you are permitted a fairly large range of healthy foods like high fiber cereals, fruit, whole grain breads/muffins, whole wheat pasta, brown rice etc.

I have known a few people who skipped phase 1 and went straight to phase 2 who did ok, the weight loss wasn't as fast but does that really matter?

Can you elaborate on the ways that hypoglycemia can be controlled, the causes of hypoglycemia that contribute to weight gain and ways the metbolism can be healed? I was not aware that was possible.

I'm living proof it's possible. I had reactive hypoglyceamia prior to discovering low carb. It was eating refined carbohydrates w/o limit that set me off. I was always told I need the carbs, so I ate them. I would feel immediately better after a meal but shortly after that, say 90 minutes later I'd feel awful; sweaty, panic attacks, moody and ravenously hungry. It was my blood sugar dropping; it was all those carbs being converted to blood glucose, causing it to rise and triggering an insulin spike leading to the crashing blood sugar. Then the whole cycle would resume again.

Cut out the refined carbs, balance your meals and eat every few hours and voila, you're better. Now when I get hungry it's true hunger. Both Veggie_Chick and I replied to you about this in the other thread in the other forum.

Nat

__________________
A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.

Jdmassimo- with the wealth of knowledge that you appear to possess, you still give only partial information. Can you elaborate on the ways that hypoglycemia can be controlled, the causes of hypoglycemia that contribute to weight gain and ways the metbolism can be healed? I was not aware that was possible.
Also, you said that hypoG effects insulin production which is the first I have heard, I was under the impression that was diabetes. My doctor has not been helpful or informational to say the least...

Rhadianze, I only gave partial information because I do not know how much you already know or to what degree you are already controlling your condition.

Reactive Hypoglycemia is a metabolic disorder where blood glucose and insulin levels cannot be controlled. It is often referred to by the medical community as "low blood sugar" but the fact is that low blood sugar is merely a symptom of what is wrong. HypoG typically occurs as a result of poor eating habits - high levels of refined carbs, sugar, high fat foods, large quantities of preservatives and chemical additives, drinking alcohol, and from skipping meals. HypoG is most common in teens, college students, and young adults, because these habits are common in their environments.

What happens in Reactive HypoG is that shortly after a carb-heavy food or meal is eaten, blood glucose levels spike. This triggers excessive insulin production, typically anywhere from 60-240 minutes after the meal. The insulin lowers the blood glucose levels by carrying the glucose out of the blood so it can be used as fuel for energy. But when your pancreas produces excess levels of insulin, the blood glucose levels drop too low and you experience a variety of symptoms including shakiness, foggy-head, dizzinness, heart palpatations, confusion, vision problems, and more. Furthermore, if the glucose levels drop too low, your body's natural defense mechanisms trigger the release of cortisol (the stress hormone) which assists the body by triggering a natural conversion of proteins/amino acids into glucose. Cortisol, while attempting to naturally raise the blood glucose back to normal levels, also causes increased stress, anxiety symptoms, and depression. Weight problems commonly exist with Reactive HypoG because the metabolism is in a weakend state. Some people gain, others lose, but the fact is that weight problems are often corrected once the condition is controlled.

Medical doctors tend to be more familiar with Diabetic Hypoglycemia, which is triggered by oral medication or insulin injections - the treatment for this is to consume a high glycemic index foods, glucose tabs, or candy to quickly raise the glucose levels. But Reactive Hypoglycemia is different than Diabetic Hypogycemia - because when you consume more carbs and/or sugar, you are actually triggering another hypoglycemic reaction by spiking the blood glucose levels. You end up in a viscous cycle where your blood glucose levels are rollercoastering - highs and lows, followed by excessive cortisol levels. There is only one way to truly recover from Reactive HypoG - break the cycle. This can take weeks, months, or years, depending on the individual.

The primary goal in overcoming Reactive HypoG is to stabilize blood glucose levels through diet, to avoid excess insulin production. The most basic plan to overcome Reactive HypoG is to follow these instructions:

1. Eliminate all refined, processed carbohydrates from the diet, including white four products (bread, pasta, crackers, etc) and all sugar products (including granulated sugar, brown sugar, honey, molasses, corn syrup, etc) and any foods made with these ingredients.
2. Limit carbohydrates to no more than 40-50% of total calories - carbs should include cooked and raw vegetables, whole grains, whole fruits, etc. Fruits and starches can only be consumed in very limited quanities, but should not be completely eliminated from the diet.
3. Early on, be prepared to eat a snack every 2 hours, eventually every 3 hours will work.
4. Never eat carbohydrates without protein. All meals and snacks should include 20-30% of total calories as protein.

There are additional strategies that can be quite effective in controlling/reversing Reactive HypoG, but much depends on the severity of your condition.

Here are the links to other posts (from the diabetes forum) that discuss reactive hypoglycemia. I would encourage you to read through them for further information and for an excellent reference:[url]http://www.healthboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=184411[/url]
[url]http://www.healthboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=181999&page=1&pp=5[/url]
[url]http://www.healthboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=178277&page=1&pp=5[/url]

So I went looking yesterday and today and is it just me or does it seem awfully frickin hard to find bread or tortillas, etc that are actually made from whole grain? HOW DO I KNOW? Some of the bread said wheat flour, some said whole wheat flour... but I saw in the South Beach book that its best to have whole grain instead of whole wheat , listed on the label... well I didnt even see any of that...and on and on. And I also noticed that the ones that LOOKED healthier and like they may have actually been whole grain, are much more calorie dense. So what is a person to do? It sounds like you guys on here really know what you are talking about... can you direct me to some specific brands or types of breads, pitas or tortillas specifically, but also cereals, pasta, etc that are whole wheat or grain and actually are made from that and dont just claim it???? (Like "wheat" breads that are actually refined breads) ALso if you can, ones that aren't like, twice or more the calories of their higher GI counterparts? ARg! haha